


Viva Las Vegas

by nimrod262



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Marriage, Nivanfield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 11:57:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6078468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nimrod262/pseuds/nimrod262
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This one-off short has previously appeared on my tumblr blog.  I've cleaned it up a bit and added some extra dialogue to explain everyone's feelings a little better.<br/>So, Claire talks to Chris, she has some news for him which he doesn't take very well.  Then Piers talks to Claire, but we don't get to listen, and then Chris talks to . . . well, you'll just have to read it to find out who!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Viva Las Vegas

 

Brrr . . . Brrr . . . The phone rang in the Deuce of Hearts. Chris and Piers had just settled down after a busy week of intense training. It wasn't often they got a Friday afternoon off these days, but Alpha Team had put in some outstanding effort during the week. They deserved to finish early. Brrr . . . Brrr . . . Ruff lay at their feet, his back legs twitching in doggy dreams. He liked having his two dads home early too.

Brrr . . . Brrr . . . Chris was in two minds about answering it, but it kept ringing, insistently . . . Brrr.

"Yeh, hello, Chris Redfield . . . Claire! Is that you? How's my girl?

"Hi big bro. Have I got news for you! . . . I'm getting married!"

"Say that again?" He felt like he'd just been slapped.

"I, Claire Redfield, sister of Christopher Redfield, am getting married, tomorrow morning. In Las Vegas. There’s this cute little white chapel; you walk in and ten minutes later you’re married." Claire was almost squealing with excitement. "And then hello Hawaii, for our honeymoon."

"Oh!"

"Is that it? Oh! Aren't you pleased?"

"Yeh, of course, but it sounds a bit rushed . . ."

"Don't you want to wish me luck?"

"Um, sure Claire, it's just kinda’ sudden . . ."

"Aren't you going to ask me who the lucky man is?"

"Er, well it would be nice to know wh . . ."

"What? Say something. I expected more than grunts and half sentences!"

"It's taken me by surprise, I thought I'd be with you . . ."

"Chris, you've vetted and vetoed every man I've ever met. This was the only way it was gonna' happen. I'm a, ahem, thirty something year old woman, dammit. I’m not a little girl any more Chris.”

“I know how old you are Claire”

“My biological clock is ticking."

“Your bio what?”

“Don’t you wanna’ be an Uncle?”

“Claire! You’re not, you know . . . preg . . .?”

“No, but I soon will be. Hawaii here I come, whee!”

"Jeez, it's just come as a shock. I always thought I'd be the one to give you away; like Dad would’ve."

"Chris, I'd be a spinster till the day I died if you had your way."

"Sorry, I never . . . sniff. Ah, sorry, I'm . . ."

"Are you crying? . . . Chris?"

". . ."

"Put Piers on please."

"Piers, it's me, Claire. Is he all right?"

"Um, Hi there. No, not very, what did you say to him?"

“I told him I’m getting married, tomorrow.”

“Oh, that’s, er, great Claire.”

“Argh! Not you as well.”

“Look, from what I heard I think he might feel left out, you know how much you mean to him.”

“Oh don’t Piers. I just don’t know how else to do it; you now how protective he is.”

“Well I’ve got an idea. Hang on . . ."

Piers took the phone upstairs. When he came back down Chris had put on his Timberland boots and a fleecy over-shirt. He looked grimfaced. He was packing his rucksack on the kitchen table. Hiking rations. A six-pack of beer, a bag of donuts and some candy bars. Ruff was by his side wagging is tail, he already had his lead on.

"Claire said to . . ."

"I know what Claire said. I'm going out Ace, I haven't checked the boundary fences for a while, or the river front."

Piers had to ask, even though he didn't really want to right now. But being by Chris' side in difficult times was his life.

"Hang on, I'll get my gear Babe."

"No thanks Piers, I need some time alone, to think. I'll be a while . . . Come on Ruffy, let's go."

Piers watched them go, then shut the front door. He picked up the phone.

************************

Chris sat on a flat rock overlooking the river. Ruff had been for a swim earlier and lay by his master's side, drying in the afternoon sun. Chris took a swig from his fourth beer.

"That's it Mom, Dad. She's grown up. I hope you think I've done alright by her. You'd be so proud. She heals people. I just kill . . ."

He hung his head. He knew Piers would say that he protected people, saved them whenever he could. But he knew what he did. Zombies, J'avo, Napads; they were all people once . . .

He crushed the empty can in his hand and looked upwards.

"Jesus Mom and Dad, why did you have to go? It's been so hard you know. You didn't leave any book of instructions. I've just made it up as we've gone along. Trying to think what you would have done or said, every day, every week. Each birthday, year by year. And now our little girl's all grown up. She's getting married. I should be pleased, pleased for her, pleased for her husband. So why am I sat here crying, huh? Why do I feel so empty, it's like . . . it's like when you went. Why did you do that? Or am I just feeling sorry for myself? Because she’s done it all on her own, without me. What am I meant to do now?”

The warm salt tears welled up in the dark brown eyes and then dripped onto the cold grey rock below. His head dropped again, his chest heaving as he sobbed. He didn't hear the soft footsteps, or see the hand that reached out and gently squeeze his shoulder. Ruff did, and wagged his tail.

Chris looked up into the soft hazel eyes of his partner. They smiled back down at him.

“It’s OK Chris, I got you. I thought I might find you two here. Come on, let’s go home." Slowly, Chris pushed himself up; but he didn’t speak.

It wasn't often that Piers slept on his own in the Deuce of Hearts. Chris had insisted on staying downstairs. He’d spent the evening simply staring into the fire. Piers knew better than to force the issue when Chris was in a dark mood. He'd simply put a warm blanket around his lover’s broad shoulders, then bent down and kissed him on the head.

“Goodnight Babe, remember, I’m not far away.”

Sometimes Chris just had to work these things out for himself before he would accept help, even from Piers.

************************

Chris was still moody the next day. A brooding silence had descended over the Deuce of Hearts. Chris could barely force himself to look at Piers, let alone his own reflection in the mirror. Just as well his Ace was busy running errands most of the day. Chris just wanted to be left alone. He knew he was bad company. He wasn't called Bearfield for purely humorous reasons.

Piers came back from town late in the afternoon. He found Chris sat in the lounge. The TV was on, some mindless game show. Ruff had his head on Chris' lap. But Piers could see Chris was oblivious to it all. He had the thousand yard stare.

Suddenly Chris' cell phone jangled! He seemed to start, shaken from his self-imposed reverie. Ruff barked in surprise.

"C, Claire! Where are you? Er, how'd it go? Oh God I miss you . . . What? What do you mean open the gate? What gate? The Seven of Clubs . . . but you’re meant to be in Hawaii, with thingy, your husband. If this is some kind of joke my girl . . ."

"Bearfield, let us in, there's a whole coach load of us, and we want the loo, amongst other things. Richard's parents are here, and Richard of course, and Aunty Jane and Uncle Bob, remember them? And some of the gang from TerraSave. Oh, and Jill’s not far behind, with Mike Lugano, who’d have thought it?"

"But . . .?"

"But me no buts Bear, get this frigin' gate open, we've got things to organise kiddo."

Piers looked at Chris in amusement. He could hear Claire quite clearly from where he was standing.

"Better do as the married lady says Babe, then you'd better get your uniform out. We've got another wedding to go to tomorrow . . ."

************************

". . . Married in Las Vegas, a drive thru! Can you believe that? Sort of blessed and married again here on the base. I didn’t really understand the churchy bit. But oh boy, some Sunday service that turned out to be! I gave her away Dad, thought of you. Jill had your job Mom, mother of the bride, did the flowers. You’ll never guess who caught the bouquet, remember our rookie, Finn? You'd have both loved it, your little girl was so happy, and your little boy cried all the time. Ha ha! Then a reception in the Officer's Mess, and a delayed honeymoon in Hawaii. It was pure Claire!”

“Oh, I almost forgot. His name is Richard, you’d love him, very easy going. Ha, I suppose he has to be. Ex-army, knows Piers too, small world eh? Now he’s in TerraSave. Oh, and Claire says she wants me to be an Uncle, your first grandchild Mom and Dad! Well, that’s all for now I guess. So long and God bless. I love you."

Chris finished his beer and stood up on the rock overlooking the wide river. He took a last look at the sunset and waved his hand in farewell. Ruff gave an excited bark and ran around his master, his tail wagging furiously.

"Hungry? Come on then Ruffy, let's see what Papa Piers has cooked for supper. Race ya!"

**Author's Note:**

> This short came out of the blue. I had been thinking how Claire might get to keep a boyfriend and get married without Chris 'protecting' her. Separately, I'd also been thinking about Chris talking to his late parents, keeping them up to date on events. Somehow these two ideas came together in this little tale. I hope you enjoyed it. nimrod262


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